Risen Indeed
by CeliaEquus
Summary: The Order of the Phoenix is reunited through old magic. Now many people have a second chance at life. So what happens at Christmas? HG/FP and LE/? Disclaimer: I own nothing recognisable. Song disclaimers are inside.
1. Christmas Eve

"Christmas Eve"

Among Dumbledore's old papers was a theory he had developed based on old, long-forgotten magic. Hermione had found it while going through his things after the war had ended, and immediately told Harry and Ron what she had found.

_They had listened carefully._

"_You're bonkers," Harry said._

"_No, I'm not. Don't be like that," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "Professor Dumbledore knew what he was doing. And the only person who ever betrayed the Order of the Phoenix was Peter Pettigrew; and he repaid his Life Debt by not strangling you when he could have. It doesn't have to be a first class medal."_

"_I still don't understand," Ron said, looking over her shoulder at the parchment, prompting an explanation from their bookworm friend._

"_If a number of people swear oaths under the name of a phoenix – any kind – then any who pass away can be resurrected if they are joined together once more in the name of Merlin. Therefore, all we have to do is make sure that everyone from the Order of the Phoenix gets an Order of Merlin, including the people who have died, and they can come back to life. Think of it, Harry," she said, eyes shining. "Your parents… Sirius… _Teddy's_ parents…"_

"_And if it doesn't work?" he asked, scowling._

"_It's better than not trying!" she said. "The headmaster left these notes for a reason. We owe it to him to try…"_

"_Why didn't he mention any of this in the afterlife, huh?"_

"_You can't expect a man to remember everything!" she exclaimed, waving her arms wildly. "We have to try, Harry. Ron, don't you agree?"_

"_Well, yeah, of course," he said, though he looked at Harry apprehensively._

At the awards ceremony Professor Dumbledore – and Hermione – had been proven right when the party was gatecrashed by the resurrected members of the Order of the Phoenix. Every formerly-deceased member of the secret organisation had, like that mythical bird, risen again.

Ginny had summed it up nicely: "You were right, Professor Snape. Hermione really _is_ a know-it-all." The dark man had merely nodded, scowling at all in attendance where he stood beside the other former headmaster.

Families were reunited, many tearful exchanges were made, names were cleared, and for months the _Prophet_ was filled with their return. Peter Pettigrew was sent to Azkaban after confessing to the crimes for which Sirius was imprisoned, and Professor Snape was hailed as a hero.

The youngest Weasley children, who had never known their uncles Fabian and Gideon Prewett, were delighted; especially Fred and George. They had only been unofficially inducted into the Order, but it still counted since they had taken the same oath, and so Fred came back to life with his uncles.

Now it was the second Christmas since then. Hermione and Ron had been unable to maintain a relationship while he was training at the Ministry and she was studying at Hogwarts. He was now in a nice, steady relationship with Susan Bones.

This, however, left Hermione alone, and on Christmas Eve, too.

The saddest part of it was that she had a crush – no, more than a crush – on 'Uncle' Fabian. After Hermione and Ron's amicable break-up she had still been welcome at the Burrow for dinner during the holidays, and then after she had graduated. Charlie was still in Romania and Percy had a girlfriend, so Fabian was the only single man at the dinners. Therefore Hermione was nearly always seated beside him. He took every opportunity to flirt with her, and it would have been all right had it not affected her.

But it did. In a big way.

And she felt her loneliness even more in her single apartment, with a ludicrously tall tree, dressed in flannel pyjamas and missing her parents.

"Done," she said, Levitating the star to the top of the tree. It was a Granger family tradition to wait until Christmas Eve to do this. Once the final decoration was in place she stepped back and nodded approvingly. It was quarter to eleven, so she allowed one last song to play on the radio.

_Greeting cards have all been sent,_

_The Christmas rush is through,_

_But I still have one wish to make,_

_A special one for you;_

_Merry Christmas, darling._

_We're apart, that's true;_

_But I can dream and in my dreams,_

_I'm Christmas-ing with you._

_Holidays are joyful,_

_There's always something new._

_But every day's a holiday_

_When I'm near to you._

She watched the way that the winking candle flames were reflected on the shiny baubles, miniature flame-proofing wards around the tiny flickers of light. The room was filled with the warmth of the crackling wood in the fireplace, and she hoped no one flooed into the room. It was just spoil the moment.

_The lights on my tree_

_I wish you could see,_

_I wish it every day._

_The logs on the fire_

_Fill me with desire_

_To see you and to say_

_That I wish you Merry Christmas,_

_Happy New Year too._

_I've just one wish on this Christmas Eve;_

_I wish I were with you._

_The lights on my tree_

_I wish you could see,_

_I wish it every day._

_The logs on the fire_

_Fill me with desire_

_To see you and to say_

_That I wish you Merry Christmas,_

_Happy New Year too._

_I've just one wish on this Christmas Eve;_

_I wish I were with you._

_I wish I were with you._

She hummed and then switched off the radio. With a sigh she extinguished the lights and the fire, made sure that everything was locked and warded, and then went to bed. After all, she had to get up early to go to the Burrow for Christmas tomorrow…

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First chapter done! I hope this is a relatively decent cyber-present for my loyal, devoted readers. Please return the favour and review!

**By the way, flamers will be outed as Grinches. You have been warned…**

**The title of the fic comes from one of our chants at church, where someone from the clergy says "Christ is risen," and we say "He is risen indeed".**

**Okay, a poll for the last chapter: who should Lily end up with? Since she and James both died they're no longer married, which means that she could either remarry him, or she could end up with her old friend. So, who do you want her to be with? Severus or James?**

**Disclaimer: the song in this chapter belongs to Richard Carpenter and Frank Pooler, not me.**


	2. Christmas Day

"Christmas Day"

"Merry Christmas!" Hermione called as she stepped from the fireplace.

"Merry Christmas, Hermione," Fabian said, grinning at her from the couch. He was sprawled across it, _The Daily Prophet_ opened on his lap.

"H-hello, Fabian," she said. "Merry Christmas. Um… where's everyone else?"

"Don't know, not that bothered."

"Why aren't you bothered about where your family is?" she asked, eyes widening.

"Because it means that I'm here – alone – with you," he said. She blushed and looked to the floor. He stood up.

"Hermione," he began.

"You're here!" Ginny cried from the doorway. Hermione turned around and smiled at her young friend as she approached.

"Hi, Ginny," she said. They hugged tightly, and Fabian wandered away. Gideon, who'd been watching from beside the fireplace, shook his head at his brother.

"I wouldn't know what to say," Fabian said quietly, glancing back at Hermione. Gideon grabbed his arm and dragged him into the hallway.

"You used to be much better with birds when we were at school," he said.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't in love with any of them," he grumbled.

"Ah! You admit it."

"It's not him you should be admitting it to," someone said. It was Arthur. "I'm here to give you fair warning, Fabian. Molly's _this_ close to putting Veritaserum in both your drinks by tomorrow afternoon if you haven't made a move."

"Did Severus brew it?" Fabian asked jokingly. Arthur didn't smile.

"Yes."

"You're… you're serious?"

"Absolutely."

"W-well… well, why doesn't _he_ do anything about his feelings for Lily?"

"For far deeper reasons than you, so get on with it."

* * *

"How are you going, Harry?" Hermione asked, sitting at the window in Ron's bedroom. The three of them were having their usual time alone together.

"Okay. Why?"

"Well, what do you think about your mother and…"

"Snape?"

"_Professor_ Snape, Harry," she said, mock-scowling at him. He held up his hands.

"Sorry, `Mione. I don't know. My dad was a right berk, and much as I hate Sn… Professor Snape, look at all he did for her! Dad's still a git towards him, even after everything that's happened. While Professor Snape was one of the baddies, he paid for his mistakes over and over again."

"I hate to say it," Ron said, "but I kind of feel sorry for him. You're mum's been really decent about it all, even though it's weird to see them as friends."

They thought about a conversation they had overheard one day, only a couple of months after the Order had been reunited in life.

"_You make it sound like a chore, James."_

"_It wouldn't be a chore, Lily! It's just the obvious thing to do. I mean, we were married before. Just because we aren't anymore – you know, having died – doesn't mean we shouldn't be. We've got a son, for Merlin's sake."_

"_And they're the only reasons we should get remarried?" Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other, waiting for whatever would come next._

"_Course not. I love you, Lils. I always have." They enlarged the keyhole in time to see James take a few steps forward, and for Lily to back up._

"_Nice to know. But… it complicates things. All that Severus has done…"_

"_I _knew_ it! I knew it'd come down to Snivellus…"_

"_Gods, you couldn't even stop yourself from calling him that in the afterlife! Why should I expect any different now that we're actually alive and you can make up with him properly?" She turned away, crossing her arms, her brows furrowed. "You've always been so damned immature, James Potter. Why the hell did I marry you?"_

"_Because you loved me, too," he said. He tried to stroke her arms, but she pulled away again. "If you'd rather have the sour-faced git instead, fine! Take him!"_

"_James," she whispered, "it's not that. But I want to try and make friends with him again, and if I marry you now it'll ruin everything."_

"_Ruin… ruin everything?" He staggered back, face registering pure shock. "Your friendship with _him_ is more important than me?"_

"_He was my first friend!" she said, turning around. He turned away in retaliation. Hermione noticed Harry mouthing 'Come on, Dad'. "He explained what I was, taught me so much, made me feel more accepted."_

"_Until he called you a Mudblood," he snapped. "Oh, _wait_. Even before that he made it perfectly clear that you could only be friends 'behind the scenes'." He made speech marks with his fingers. "How dense can you be, Lily? He's obsessed with you!"_

"_He's in love with me!" she shouted. "And he was in love with me before you were. He never forced his attentions on me, and I should have forgiven him. Seeing all the repercussions that had, and seeing how people like Hermione have let the word just roll over them – even used it as a _compliment_ – has made me realise just how badly I overreacted. Look," she said, and she took a calming breath, "we can… we can see how things go later. But I need to make amends with Severus first, and we can't do that if _our_ marriage is hanging over our heads!"_

"_Don't make it sound like such a burden," he said. Ron removed the Enlargement Charm on the keyhole and they all drew back under the Invisibility Cloak. Now the voices were quieter again. "Forget it, Lily. You go your way and I'll go mine. But you'll see what a mistake it is, and then you'll come back. And, fool as I am when it comes to you, I'll accept you, but only because I loved you enough to show it."_

_Seconds later he slammed out of the room, and the Golden Trio hurried away to discuss the argument in private._

"They've been getting on well," Ron admitted. "Your mum and Snape… uh, Professor Snape," he said, hurrying to correct himself at Hermione's frown. "So d'you reckon she'll get back together with your dad?"

"What do you think, Hermione?" Harry asked.

She looked thoughtful. "Well, Professor Snape certainly has been looking younger, and he's miles happier than he used to be. But there are moments… where he sort of looks apprehensive, like everything's about to be taken away from him. And did you notice that he doesn't talk too much? He lets her do most of the talking, and tries to keep things academic. He barely lets her speak about the past. I think he's trying not to say something that will turn her away again. It's all so sad. They want each other so desperately, yet so much is keeping them apart," she began to dab at her eye with the corner of her sleeve, "and they want to say so much, but they're afraid to lose what they have because of unrequited feelings, plus it would really confuse e-everything, and he's just so wonderful, and she feels so inadequate, and… and they're so different, and…" She trailed off, staring at her friends' bewildered faces. She shook her head and the tears stopped. "Sorry. What was I saying?"

"They want each other?" Harry said.

"Who?"

"What do you mean, 'who'?" She still looked confused. "My mum and Snape!"

"We were… oh, that's right! What was my point?"

"I dunno, but I think you were talking about yourself and Uncle Fabian," Ron said, lying back on his bed with his arms crossed behind his head. Hermione gaped at him. "Okay, so I didn't work it out myself. I heard Ginny talking to Susan about it. Harry was with me at the time."

"You… you were eavesdropping on your sister and girlfriend?"

"Of course! I mean, uh, not intentionally." He flushed and avoided her gaze. "Hey, I just said that Harry was there, too!"

"Well, there's nothing going on with Fabian and I," she said, and she tossed her hair over her shoulder, forgetting that she had been crying just half a minute before. "He doesn't see me in that way."

"He does, and so do you," Harry said, glancing at Ron. "`Least, according to Gin and Susan."

"Maybe I should ask them?"

"No!" the boys said, waving their hands. She glared at them witheringly.

"I wouldn't mention your names," she said.

"Oh," Ron said, lying back down. "That's okay, then." Hermione rolled her eyes.

* * *

By the time they got back downstairs nearly everyone else was there. Harry greeted his father – on one side of the room – and then his mother, who was standing near their former Potions professor. He murmured his Christmas greetings to the three best friends.

"Are you well, sir?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, Miss Granger," he said. He swallowed, and glanced at Lily briefly, who was watching him. "And you?"

"Uh, yes," she said. "How are you, Lily?"

"Hermione?" Molly said, tapping her on the shoulder. "Could you fetch the salad from the kitchen?"

* * *

"Fabian," Arthur said, interrupting his conversation with Gideon and Sirius. "Molly wants you to get the last two bowls of dried fruit from the kitchen."

"It's not a request, is it?"

"`Fraid not," he said cheerfully.

"Wait a minute. Why can't she just Summon them?"

"Just go there!" he said. Amused – and suspicious – he sauntered over to the doorway.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed when they bumped into each other. "Sorry. The salad must already be out th…"

"Hey, it's mistletoe," Fred and George said, pointing above the door. Silence fell as everyone looked at Fabian and Hermione expectantly.

"Great," he said, smirking. He leant down, but she turned her head in embarrassment at the last minute and he caught her cheek instead. When she tried to escape, he pulled her into his arms. "No you don't."

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

"What do you think, 'smartest witch of this age'?" he asked, bending his head once more.

Lights exploded behind Hermione's eyes as Fabian's lips touched hers. She could feel her heartbeat in her ears, and leaned into the kiss. The feather-soft sensation of his tongue caressing the seam of her lips made her open her mouth for more. They both shivered as their tongues met. She grabbed onto his arms as her knees trembled, hot breath mingling with his and overcome with dizziness.

_Gods above!_ Hermione squeaked in her mind. _I love him!_ She gasped and pulled back. Gazing up into his dark blue eyes she could just see the mistletoe above their heads, and remembered why he had kissed her in the first place.

"S-sorry," she whispered. She glanced away and missed his frown. They still had a captive audience. "Oh! There's the salad," she added, pointing to the table. She moved away from the doorway. "Uh, presents, everyone?"

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Gosh darn it. How do I get to these places?

**Okay, to continue my poll, as it's all building towards the third – and last – chapter, who should Lily spend happily ever after with? The father of her child, or the man who has a second chance with the woman he loves?**

**Review and vote, please! At the moment, the results are virtually tied - not that I've counted yet - so please continue to place your votes!**


	3. Boxing Day

"Boxing Day"

There was no way she was staying around for the new year. She would… she would go to Australia! Yes; she'd find her parents. Then she could come back when everyone had forgotten that embarrassing display under the mistletoe.

What had she been thinking? Fabian was smart, funny, handsome, brave, and well-off now that he and Gideon were helping Fred and George expand Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. He was everything a girl could want in a man, and more. (All four of them had been on the Top Ten Eligible British Bachelor Wizards in _Witch Weekly_.) She was kidding herself if she thought that he could return her feelings after just one little make-out session in front of his family and their friends.

"You fool, Hermione Granger," she said, throwing things into her suitcase. "He'd never go for you. Stupid, stupid." In went another light blouse. "Just get out of the country and everything will be all right."

The radio was playing once again, but she was only half-listening to Judy Garland's voice.

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas,_

_Let your heart be light._

_From now on our troubles will be out of sight._

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas,_

_Make the yuletide gay._

_Next year all our troubles will be miles away._

"Miles and miles and miles… away from him. Away from my problems." She frowned. "Whatever happened to Gryffindor courage? Oh, it's all overrated." Sandals, hat, a fifth blouse; she was eternally grateful that she'd found that Undetectable Extension Charm. Fortunately the Ministry had international portkeys available twenty-four-seven, so she didn't have to worry about airport security.

She paused as she reached for a box on her dressing table. It was the present Fabian had given her yesterday; a bracelet. It was made of rose gold and had small stones which spelled out her name. She hoped it hadn't cost too much, no matter how well he could afford it. If she didn't know any better, she would have said that they were yellow diamonds.

Should she take it?

_Here we are as in olden days,_

_Happy golden days of yore._

_Faithful friends who are dear to us_

_Gather near to us once more._

_Through the years we all will be together,_

_If the fates allow._

_Hang a shining star upon the highest bough,_

_And have yourself a merry little Christmas now._

Hermione quickly scribbled a note for Harry and Ron, the bracelet snugly sitting around her wrist. It wasn't cowardice to go and find her parents, was it? She wrote that Christmas made her miss them all over again, which was true. That just wasn't her initial reason for running away.

There was a tapping at the window. It was Pigwidgeon. She smiled and let him in.

"Let's get you some toast, eh?" she said. The tiny owl hopped about on her shoulder, though he held still long enough for her to take the note. She walked through to the kitchen where she had left some of her breakfast in between packing.

Before she could choose a bit for him to eat, Pig had leapt down onto the table and made a beeline for the plate. He showed the same tendencies as his owner as he gobbled down food twice as big as him. Hermione giggled and then turned her attention to his delivery.

_Hermione,_

_Mum wants to know if you're coming over today for leftovers, and Uncle Fabian wants to know if you're coming over for seconds. I don't _ever_ want to write that again, so just say yes and get on over here in time for lunch, okay?_

_Ron._

She laughed again, and returned to her room. She sobered a bit when she saw the letter she had just finished. For 'seconds'? If he meant what she _hoped_ he meant, he could damn well put it in a more romantic way.

No. He definitely couldn't mean that. She was going to Australia. Maybe she'd learn the Australian version of "Jingle Bells"? Then she could teach it to everyone when she returned. If she returned.

Once Pigwidgeon had taken off with her reply, Hermione finished packing.

She was interrupted when Lily – who had been going by her maiden name – flooed into the apartment.

"Hermione? I need your help!"

"Oh, uh, coming!" She hurried into the living room and saw Harry's mother pacing. "What's happened? Is someone in trouble?"

"Yes," she said. "I am. James is obviously getting desperate; he still hasn't settled down with any of the women he's been with since we decided to… wait. He came to me last night, asked me to marry him. He still had my old wedding ring." She shook her head. "I don't know whether to be offended that he didn't get something new, or touched that he's been sentimental."

"And where does Professor Snape come into this?" Hermione asked carefully.

"That's the problem. He's so guarded around me, and I know why. It's all my fault." She was starting to cry. "Last night… last night, after James had left…"

"Wait! What did you say to James?"

"I t-told him I'd think about it." Lily's eyes darted left and right. "Oh, Hermione, I feel so guilty. It's like I'm betraying Severus. But I also feel like I'm betraying James by… by…"

"Don't. Don't say it. Not yet." She held up a hand. "What did Professor Snape say?"

"Not much, as usual. I was about to go inside and he just grabbed me, and he… he kissed me!"

Hermione's jaw dropped. "He kissed you?" Lily nodded. "Where?"

"Where do you think? And if you think your kiss with Fabian Prewett last night was hot…" She fanned herself. "I think that emotions lend so much more to a kiss, don't you?" Hermione didn't comment. "But then he apologised. Sev apologised for kissing me."

"What did _you_ say?"

"I asked why. He must have thought that I meant why did he kiss me, and he said that… he _loves_ me." Lily smiled through her tears. "I wish he'd said it so long ago. Then he said it again – said that he loves me. And again. Then he said that if he was fifteen years younger he wouldn't feel like such a dirty old man, wanting me." She sniffled. "I told him that he wasn't old. So he took a small box from his pocket, and he… he gave it to me, and told me to think about it, if I wanted to. Then he left. Hermione, it's a _ring_. A wedding ring."

She tried to think of something to say. Finally…

"Wow. Two proposals in one day."

"And now I have to choose," she said, collapsing into an armchair.

"Why?"

"Because I'm tired of being lonely." She rested her head in her hands. "And I hate the thought of disappointing both of them, let alone either of them. It's so difficult to decide." She sat back. "Both have apparently loved me ever since we met, which means that Severus has loved me longer. And I hated James from the moment I met him, whereas I was Sev's friend – his only friend – since before Hogwarts."

"In other words you'd choose Professor Snape?" she asked, eyes raised.

"But James is the father of my son! I can't stand the thought of disappointing Harry, above all. He's the only family I've got, since Petunia refuses to talk to me. She still thinks that it's unnatural that I'm alive again, never mind that she should be happy."

"Lily, if you're so concerned about pleasing Harry then you should speak to him, and get his opinion. He's more mature than you give him credit for. In fact, why are you even asking _me_? I mean, we don't know each other all that well…"

"You know my son, though, better than I do. And you're single… though that won't be for long." Her eyes twinkled as she looked up at Hermione.

"If this is about Fabian, you're quite wrong. He doesn't want me. He wouldn't."

"He does, and he would. So, what have you been do…"

"Hermione!" Fabian jumped out of the fireplace, causing the two women to shriek. "Don't go."

"Go? Where were you going to go?" Lily asked, frowning at Hermione. She saw Fabian glare at her, and her eyes widened. "Uh, I'll be going then. I'll visit Harry…"

She brushed past Fabian and flooed out.

"Why were you leaving?" he asked quietly.

"My letter wasn't explanatory enough?"

"No! Was it… my fault?"

"Your fault?" She shuffled, averting her eyes. "Why would it be your fault?"

"Because I came on too strong," he said, clenching his fists at his sides. "I couldn't help myself. And… and then you were kissing me back, and I figured that it might be my only chance, so I decided just to go all out, and now you're not coming over, and it's… it's my fault, isn't it?" Hermione's heart clenched, and she stepped towards him.

"Fabian, no. It isn't you. I need to find my p-parents, that's all." But she looked away from him again.

"Hermione, don't lie," he said, his voice tired. "Just break it to me gently before I fall any more in love with you… if possible."

"In… in love?" she asked, a hand going to her chest. "You're in love with…" He nodded. Beaming, she ran up to him and threw her arms around his shoulders. He screwed his eyes shut as he hugged her back.

"Hermione?" He sounded choked up.

"I love you, too," she whispered. "So much. I never thought… I never thought you could…"

"Don't leave me," he said, tightening his grip on her. "Hermione, don't leave me…"

"I won't. I promise, I won't leave you. I'll _never_ leave you."

* * *

"Of all the days for everyone to be missing," Molly said, slamming fresh lettuce into the wooden salad bowl. Arthur squeezed her shoulder. "I hope Fabian hasn't done anything stupid."

"Gideon would have told us if he was in danger."

"And why would Hermione decide to go to Australia right now, just like that?" She snapped her fingers to emphasise her point. "It is completely unlike her."

"Christmas is the time to do out of character things," Arthur said.

"It's almost one o'clock, Arthur!"

Before he could answer they heard someone Apparate into the dining room. Moments later Lily entered the kitchen, eyes wide.

"Do you know where Hermione is?" she asked.

"No," Molly said. "Why?"

"She isn't at her apartment," Lily said, pacing back and forth for the umpteenth time that day. "I made a decision, and I wanted to tell her first. I haven't even told Harry, despite only talking to him half an hour ago."

"What decision?" Arthur asked.

"About who to marry." Molly gasped in surprise and Arthur's jaw dropped.

"Oi! Guess what?" Gideon said, running into the kitchen. "Oh, good morning. What's going on?"

"I'm engaged," Lily said, holding up her ringed hand.

"Nice. However, I know someone who can top that."

"You and Marlene are going to get married, too?" Arthur asked, eyebrows shooting into his hairline. Gideon rolled his eyes.

"Not yet," he said. "No, I'm talking about someone else."

"Harry and Ginny?"

"Susan and Ron?"

"Nope!" He pulled Fabian and Hermione into the room. "Surprise!"

"You're _finally_ here," Molly said, bustling forward. She kissed Fabian on the cheek and embraced Hermione.

"Not for long," Fabian admitted. "You see, I seem to be a bad influence on Hermione. She not only agreed to marry me…"

"Oh, how wonderful!"

"…but actually _did_ marry me, just fifteen minutes ago at the Ministry."

Gideon rocked on his heels, grinning like an idiot, while everyone else just stared at the newlyweds, open-mouthed. This was better than any old prank.

"Uh, so we're going on our honeymoon… if that's okay," Hermione said softly.

"See you later!" Fabian said, holding his wife's hand. "We'll write. Promise!"

Then he Apparated them away.

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Well, Hermione was already packed, wasn't she?

**The song in this chapter must be credited to Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. It's from the movie/musical "Meet Me in St. Louis".**

**Okay, so I've decided to make this story five chapters long. Chapter four will have one ending, and chapter five an alternate ending. While Severus got more votes, there were still a significant number of votes for James, and with compelling reasons, so I decided to settle for both. Meh. I've done an alternate ending before, so it might very well work again.**

**By the way, I might have miscalculated once along the way, but these are the approximate scores.**

**SS/LE = 50%**

**JP/LE = 40%**

**Couldn't work out what the reviewers meant/Undecided = 10%**

**Please review!**


	4. A Year Later, Ending One

"A Year Later, Ending One"

"So tiny," Hermione whispered. She kissed her son on the head, his soft ginger hair tickling her nose. His tiny little hand was gripping Fabian's finger.

"He's beautiful," Molly said, wiping her tears away. "I'm so h-happy for both of you."

"You cried when he was born three weeks ago," Fabian said, amused.

"But it's Christmas, so it's different," she said, and she sniffed as she composed herself. "And don't say you didn't cry when you held him for the first time, because we all saw you."

"I was in pain over Hermione gripping my hand during the labour," he said, nose in the air. "That's all."

"Of course," Hermione said indulgently, grinning conspiratorially at her sister-in-law.

"Are Mum and Severus here yet?" Harry asked, poking his head around the doorway.

"They only got back from their honeymoon last night," Hermione said. "Give them time. One day you'll understand."

"But it doesn't stop after the honeymoon," Fabian said, stroking his wife's knee. She blushed and Harry made a face.

"Thanks," he said dryly. "Let me know when they get here, okay?"

"You lazy git," Ginny said, coming up behind him. "Mum, need any h… oh, hel_lo_, little Gustav Fabian." She stroked her baby cousin's cheek. "So sweet and innocent. I hope he takes after you, `Mione."

"Oi!" Fabian said. "Don't corrupt my son this early."

"So I can corrupt him later?"

"Never." He took Gustav into his arms and glanced down at Hermione's indignant expression. "You're tired, my dear."

"I'm not."

"He was getting heavy for you."

"No, he wasn't."

"Fine. It was my turn to hold him. Happy?"

"Yes." She snuggled into his side. "You're such a softie."

"Not _all_ the time." He winked, and her blush deepened. Molly looked disapproving.

"Hello?" a familiar woman's voice called. There were several knocks at the door, but they were stopped as abruptly as they started. By the time Harry got to the door and opened it, his step-father was holding his mother's fist in one hand and the back of her neck with his other. Harry turned green, and cleared his throat. Severus finally relinquished Lily's lips, and smirked.

"Good morning, Harry," he said. Lily had buried her face in her husband's chest, bright red with embarrassment.

"I dunno about that," he muttered. "Uh, come in. Last time I answer the door, though."

"Sorry," Lily squeaked. She pulled away from Severus and hugged her son quickly. "Hello, Harry."

"Hi, Mum. I'd ask how you are, but I, uh… don't really want to know." Now he was scarlet, too. Ginny, Ron, Susan, Hermione and Fabian were all doubled up with laughter. Gustav had fortunately been rescued by his Aunty Molly.

"You will understand one day," Severus said, threading his arm around Lily's waist. "Merry Christmas, everyone."

"Is Dad bringing Sophia with him?" Harry asked as he closed the door.

"I think so," Lily said. "He's really happy with this one."

"When you announced our engagement I _almost_ felt sorry for Potter," Severus said as they sat opposite their friends. "But he is hardly a man who inspires sympathy."

"Oh, stop that," Lily said, slapping him on the chest gently. He mock-glared at her. "He was heartbroken."

"I would have felt even worse, had you rejected me; and your 'ex' – what a vulgar term – has far more luck with women than I could ever have. He is also less emotional."

"True," Ron said, pulling Susan into his lap once he was sitting down as well. "Got over you quickly enough. Only two months passed before he was back in the game."

"Another dreadful term," Severus said, sneering. "One which, fortunately, I have yet to hear from any of my students."

"You haven't seen Gustav yet, have you?" Hermione asked, changing the subject to distract Harry, who was looking distinctly uncomfortable with the conversation. She held out her arms, and Molly handed him back. Then she took the baby over to the Snapes.

"Oh, he's so _sweet_," Lily whispered, peering between the blanket's folds to look at the child. He was wriggling a bit, no doubt waking up with all the movement. "Look at him, Sev. Isn't he darling? Can I hold him, `Mione?"

"Of course," she said, handing him over as gently as possible. Lily cradled him, leaning into her husband's chest.

"Handsome little fellow," he said.

"You can hold him, too, Professor," Hermione said. She still found it difficult to call the potions master by his first name. He looked startled, his nervousness clearly increasing as Lily placed him in his arms. Both women helped to arrange him – both of them – properly. Severus studied Gustav intently, watching for the moment when everything would go wrong. Instead, he opened his eyes and stared straight up at his future Potions instructor.

"He has your brown eyes, Hermione," Lily said. "Oh, he's absolutely beautiful."

"Yes," Severus said, absently adding his agreement. "Quite good. Well-behaved… so far."

"You must be very comforting," Hermione said, laughter in her eyes. "Have you ever considered being a father?"

"At my age?" But he looked somewhat wistful as he returned his gaze to Gustav. "I don't know," he said softly. "I cannot imagine it."

"Well you'd better start," Lily said. "I want to give Harry a half-brother."

"W-what?" Severus asked, his eyes widening. "You want to have a child with me?"

"Who else? I married _you_, didn't I?"

"James and Sophia have arrived," Arthur announced, looking out the window. "Hello, Severus, Lily. Good honeymoon?"

"Yes," Lily said. Severus was still staring at her, dumbfounded.

"And you've met little Gus."

"What?" Severus asked. He shook himself and then looked up at the Weasley patriarch. "Ah, yes. Here." Hermione was sitting beside her husband again, so Arthur gladly took over holding the newborn.

"Hello, nephew," he said. Just then, James walked in with his girlfriend of four months, Sophia Franklin. She was from Salem Witches' Institute, and they had met when she was in London for a Charms conference.

Needless to say, there were more than just magical charms at play when they met.

This was a relief to Lily, who was afraid that, amidst the preparations for the wedding, he might succumb to his depression. Thanks to the difficulties of the school year it was difficult to plan a wedding; it wasn't until the start of the school holidays that they managed to 'get hitched', only a few days before Hermione – the Matron-of-Honour – went into labour.

Sophia had long, black hair and pale blue eyes, and everyone agreed that she was a sweet young woman. Harry approved of her, Lily liked her immensely, and James was completely enamoured; it was perfect.

"Merry Christmas, everyone!" he said.

"Merry Christmas," Sophia echoed, smiling. Her eyes lit up when she saw Gustav. "This is the little one Harry told me about?"

"Yep!" Hermione said cheerfully. "Nine hours of painful labour – utterly worth it."

"You still should have taken some of that pain-relieving potion," Severus told her, raising an eyebrow. She poked out her tongue, and he snorted at her immature action. "Really, Miss Granger. How old are you?"

"You know me, sir," she said. "Always the know-it-all. I wanted to experience natural labour. Next time I _will_ take the potion, and compare notes afterwards."

"With whom?"

"The notes I made on Gustav's birth," she said.

"She's not joking," Fabian said. "She actually made notes."

"Why'm I not surprised?" Ron muttered, shaking his head. "Well, until everyone else gets here…" He held up his eggnog. Once everyone was holding their drinks, they toasted the festive season and a happy future.

ENDING ONE

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Whoops! Didn't finish this until after nine at night, so must edit and then post. Quickly. Wish I could say the same for flippin' "Changing the Past, Saving the Future", and I'm sure many others would say the same thing. Ah well. I haven't been well for the past week, so that hasn't helped. And it's been Christmas, don't you know?

**Please review! The final post will be James/Lily, and I'll try to make it quite different from this chapter so that you won't feel like you're reading the same thing just with different names. Okay? Okay.**


	5. A Year Later, Ending Two

"A Year Later, Ending Two"

The three children sitting in a row made a delightful picture. Teddy and Victoire were either side of Gustav Prewett, who was only three weeks old, propped up by both of them. As soon as Arthur had taken a picture, the mothers hurried forward. Hermione scooped up her son first, and then Tonks and Fleur picked up their children.

"Looks good," Arthur said, studying the developing photograph.

"My turn now," Fabian said, taking Gustav from Hermione. She gaped at him.

"I only just got him back!" she said, reaching for the baby.

"You had him before then, not to mention the nine months he was inside of you. That's a lot of time to make up for," he told her, waggling a finger.

"Cheater," she muttered. Then someone knocked at the door. "I'll get that." She glared at her husband, who just smiled back. It was Christmas at the Burrow, and everyone was slowly gathering for lunch. The next day would be the one year anniversary of Fabian and Hermione's marriage, so they would be combining it with the usual Boxing Day celebrations.

"Merry Christmas!" James said, beaming at Hermione. She opened the door wider.

"Merry Christmas," she said, letting them in.

"Sorry we're late," Lily said. "Rose was giving us a bit of trouble."

She and James had married only a month after she accepted his proposal, and they had got started giving Harry a sister almost immediately. Rose was only seven weeks old, a month older than Gustav.

"Well, we can get another photograph later," Hermione said. "Have… have either of you heard from Professor Snape?"

Spirits dampened, the Potters shook their heads. Hermione wilted, also thinking the worst. That's all they had done since he disappeared two days before the wedding. He had grudgingly accepted Lily's rejection, but he barely spoke to anyone after that. It wasn't until the wedding day that he was discovered missing. The last anybody had seen of him was when he made a withdrawal of his life's savings from Gringotts, which wasn't that much. After all, no one else had wanted to fund his research, even after he had made significant progress in his potions-making. It all came out of his own pocket.

In all honesty, nobody wanted a former Death Eater, despite the important role that he had actually played in the war. Lily wasn't told about his disappearance until she and James returned from their long honeymoon, already pregnant with Rose.

Lily had been devastated, and had felt incredibly guilty ever since.

By lunchtime everyone had arrived who was going to be there. Sirius and his girlfriend, Gwendolyn, had turned up last, in a somewhat dishevelled state. Molly had glared at them disapprovingly, but Sirius had claimed that they had simply been stuck under some stubborn magical mistletoe.

"A toast," Gideon called, raising his glass. "To family and friends."

They all echoed him: Hermione, Fabian, Marlene, Arthur, Molly, Lily, James, Sirius, Gwendolyn, Fleur, Bill, Charlie, Fred, Angelina, Katie, George, Harry, Ginny, Susan, Ron, Remus and Tonks. It was noisy, it was cheerful, and worries were all forgotten… for the time being.

* * *

Dressed in the pink nightgown Fabian had given her, Hermione joined him on the couch in their living room.

"Are you worried, too?" she asked. He frowned slightly, but then his expression cleared.

"Ah," he said. "Severus. Yes. I am worried."

"If he was all right, wouldn't he at least get in touch with someone for Christmas? He must be lonely wherever he is."

"I dunno," he said, lounging back and pulling his wife into his lap. "Maybe he found someone."

"You mean a replacement for Lily?" she said.

"Not a replacement. Someone who actually loves him back, someone who'll treat him properly. I never liked the git, but at least I respected him, _and_ I know when to forgive a person. Good thing you do as well, otherwise you'd've got rid of me ages ago."

"Only because you perform your experiments in the laboratory at Fred and George's shop, and not in our nicely-kept townhouse," she told him, wriggling in his lap. He held her tighter until they heard a tap at the window.

"An owl? At this hour?" he said. He placed Hermione back on the cushions and stood up. Sure enough, there was a big, tawny owl outside. He stood back to let it fly into the room and land on the back of the couch. Hermione removed the note while Fabian Summoned owl food.

"Oh my gods," she whispered.

"What is it, my love?"

"It's… speak of the devil. It's from Professor Snape."

"It is?" he asked. He left the food on the perch and the owl flew over to it. "What does it say? Is he okay?"

"Hang on. I'll read it to you:

"'Dear Mr. and Mrs. Prewett, I hope that this letter finds you well. I read about the birth of your son in _The Daily Prophet_. Please allow me to offer my congratulations.

"'No doubt you are wondering how I am. After Lily rejected me for a second time, albeit it in a different fashion, I could not bear the pain. I concealed my feelings, as usual. This sufficed for a time, until I received an owl from her confirming that I would be there, as I was 'her best friend in the world'. She meant second only to her husband and most likely a number of other people, yourselves included. I knew that she had visited you for your opinion, Mrs. Prewett.'"

At this, Hermione's voice broke. Fabian took the pieces of parchment from her gently, pulled her close again, and took over the reading.

"'I am grateful that you were not overtly biased in your opinion, nor in your advice. You have been the better person in this affair.

"'Things have turned out surprisingly well. I sealed off Spinner's End, took my money and travelled. Under an assumed name and a disguise I amassed new information in Europe which was able to help me with my experiments. For the first time in my life I received funding, which helped greatly. My heart was no longer intact, of course, and my loneliness was – again, for the first time – getting to me. So I decided to find out if I had any living relatives, no matter how distant.

"'It came as a great surprise to me when I found that not only had my mother a sister, but that she was a mutual acquaintance of ours: Irma Pince.'"

"Madame Pince?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Seems so," Fabian said. "Should I continue?" Hermione nodded eagerly. "Okay then.

"'She had wanted to watch over me when I went to Hogwarts, suspecting how difficult things would be. My mother had placed a charm on her so that she could never reveal her true identity until I figured it out. She tried to do this with her name; it is an anagram of 'I'm a Prince'. You are aware, of course, that my mother's maiden name was Prince.

"'Upon my secret return to Britain she insisted that I stay with her. Thus I hid myself in her house in Nottinghamshire, continuing my potions research and keeping in touch with the lab in Russia, where I had been working.

"'One of my fellow brewers, Katinka Chesnokov – a Muggleborn witch descended from the prolific composer Pavel Chesnokov – maintained regular contact with me. It wasn't for a few months away from my Russian friends that I realised just how attached I had grown to them. I invited them to come to England, as Aunt Irma – I can call her by no other name – told me to. She must have despaired for me.

"'Only Katinka was able to get away from work for that time, which was just as well; she was the one with whom I had been corresponding, and therefore the one I knew best. When she arrived she was surprised. It was no wonder, as I had not been as thorough with my Glamours. All that time living in secret at my aunt's house had caused me to forget all the finer points of my alternative appearance. Her astonishment was obvious, and I realised my mistake.

"'"This explains all those times I saw your surprise when you looked at any reflective surface," she said. (I translate from Russian, a language I can speak fluently after all those months I lived in Moscow.)

"'It took a few days to tell her my true life's story, and I feared that she would never forgive me. The risk of losing her friendship caused me to realise that I cared for her as more than a friend. More to the point, I had forgotten Lily over time, and never thought of her in Katinka's presence.'"

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Hermione said. "Please, please, _please_ let it have worked out all right."

"Hermione, I haven't finished reading it yet," Fabian said, amused. "Listen and learn.

"'I believe that I am the luckiest man alive. Not only did she forgive me, but the rest of our Russian acquaintances, once informed, also found it in their hearts to accept what had happened, having seen what they think to be my true side. Perhaps it is? I have worn too many disguises during my life to know who I am.

"'My wife has assured me that she will help me 'find myself', to use that vulgar expression. Yes; my wife. One week after Katinka arrived in England I blurted out a proposal, unbelievably, undeniably and utterly in love with her by this time. To my everlasting shock, she said 'yes'. I bought an entirely new ring for her, and we married the day before All Hallow's Eve.'"

Hermione squealed and clapped her hands. Fabian shushed her, not wanting to wake Gustav.

"'If you are surprised to hear from me then Arthur and Molly have done well to keep it secret. I contacted them the week before Christmas, and they have invited us for Boxing Day lunch. As it will be your anniversary, I chose to write and confirm that this will be all right. We would not wish to intrude on so momentous an occasion. Sincerely, Severus Snape.'"

"Yes! I can't wait to see them," Hermione said. "I won't believe that he's alive until I see him with my own eyes…"

"And you want to approve of Katinka Snape," Fabian interrupted. She poked her tongue out at him, and with a swift movement he had returned it to her mouth in a most pleasing manner. She moaned as he pulled away, her lips following him.

"Fabian…" she whispered.

"I th…" he cleared his throat, "I think that we should reply, don't you?"

"All right," she said. "But then we finish this, understand?"

"Oh no, my dear," he said, standing up with a gleam in his eyes. "We will _begin_ this."

* * *

Hermione hung around the door even after everyone was seated in the living room, chatting, drinking and snacking. Fabian had told his sister and brother-in-law about the letter, congratulating them on their sneakiness, and then told his twin about it; they could never keep secrets from each other. It was impermissible.

"Come and sit down, Hermione!" Harry called, frowning. "Is there any reason you're hovering around there?"

"Uh…" she began. But then there was a knock. "Coming!" Gustav in her arms, she bustled down the hall to the front door.

"Good morning, Miss G… Mrs. Prewett," Severus said, inclining his head. She gaped at him, partly in astonishment at having not seen him in so long, and partly because he looked so much _younger_. Some of his lines had smoothed out, his hair was shorter, he carried himself higher, and he was wearing less intimidating clothes. Gustav gurgled, and she snapped out of her disbelieving trance.

"Happy Christmas, sir," she said. Then she looked at Katinka Snape, and couldn't help but smile. She was beautiful; light brown hair, dark brown eyes, and a petite figure. Her skin was clear, and even a half-smile made her face light up. "Happy Christmas, Mrs. Snape. I'm Hermione Prewett, and this is my son, Gustav."

"He is charming," Katinka said, gazing down at the child. Her Russian accent was positively _musical_. "You are a lucky woman."

"So are you," Hermione said. Katinka looked up at her husband, and Hermione's heart filled with joy when she saw the pure love between the two. Never had Severus Snape's face looked so soft, not even when he had been around Lily. "Come in. Only a few people are expecting you, as far as I know."

She entered the living room ahead of them, wanting to see everyone's reactions to the newcomers. She wasn't disappointed.

Many jaws dropped and there were many gasps. Lily turned as white as a sheet.

"Sev…" She shook her head. "Sev, is it really you?"

"It is, Lily," he said, his hand still entwined in Katinka's. "As you can see, I am still alive."

"I… I…" She bit her lower lip, stood, and then ran forwards. She threw her arms around his shoulders, bursting into tears. "Don't you _dare_ ever stay away for so long, Severus Snape! We've been worried sick."

He firmly detached her from his body. "I am sure you have coped quite well. Had I died there were instructions that the right people would be informed. I have been busy, although under an assumed name. For work purposes, this turned out to be necessary." He placed his arm around his wife's waist, and tugged her into his side. "It is my unbounded joy that I can introduce you all to my wife Katinka."

"Your _wife_?" Ron blurted out. He received a scowl from his former professor. "Uh, I mean, congratulations, sir!"

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," he said dryly.

By the end of the individual introductions everyone was cheerful, thanks to Katinka's infectious smile. Severus embraced her when she returned to his arms, his own smile brighter than any of them had ever seen. There was no question that this woman was loved in her own right, and that she was no replacement for Lily. In fact, from his dismissive manner they could tell that Lily no longer held a place in his heart.

When a toast was made to Hermione and Fabian for their first anniversary, they were happy to see that they were surrounded by family and friends. Gustav was passed around the room, of course, and was surprisingly patient.

All in all, it was a splendid Christmas.

THE END

* * *

**Honestly. I ask you, readers. How else could I have ended it? I wanted a closed ending, obviously, but didn't want to go beyond Boxing Day number two. In fact, it's a bit aggravating that I spread this chapter over two days, but I had the sudden inspiration to bring in the potions master and his wife the day after Christmas.**

**Anyway, I'm sure that Katinka understands the 'subtle science and exact art of potion-making' (being a potions mistress herself), and that Professor Snape fully bewitched her mind and ensnared her senses.**

**Please review!**

**By the way, Pavel Chesnokov was an actual composer, though there's nothing on Wikipedia about him having family. Decidedly unhelpful, but his last name went really well with 'Katinka', so… yeah. About 400 of his 500+ compositions were sacred, so he isn't as well-known as operatic and ballet composers.**

**Edit: Thank you, AuntieL, for pointing out a mistake in the original chapter five. It's now been corrected. Phew!**


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